Basin wrench



Mamba, 1931. o S UH 1,795,048

BASIN WRENCH Filed July 7, 1930 smut Patented Mar. 3, 1931 PATENT OFFICE OTTQ H. SOHUH, OI LABAMIE, WYOMING BASIN WRENCH Application filed July 7, 1930. Serial No. 465,996.

This invention relates to improvements in basin wrenches of the type employed by plumbers for turning the nut of faucets that are attached to wash basins and sinks.

VVash basins and sinks are usually attached to the walls of the kitchen or bath room and the faucets are attached to the same near the wall and in such a position that the nuts that hold the faucets in place cannot be turned by means of the usual wrenches. It is often necessary to repair the faucets and the water pipes connected with them and unless some special wrench is employed, it be comes necessary to remove the sink or washbasin before the nuts can be loosened so as to permit the faucets to be removed.

It is the object of this invention to produce a wrench of a simple and substantial construction that can be made at a small cost and which will be so constructed that it can rotate the nuts in either direction even when they are located in very narrow compartments and which shall also be so constructed that it can be employed in the usual way for any work that an ordinary wrench can be employed for.

This invention briefly described, consists of a handle having one end provided with an enlarged head whose outer surface is serrated and which has one side provided with an inwardly extending opening for the reception of a rotatable plug. An arcuate jaw has one end pivotally attached to the outer end of the plug and has its inner or concave surface provided with transverse serrations. The plug is rotatable about an axis that is at right angles to the axis of the handle and the jaw is movable about a pivot that extends at right angles to the axis of the plug. Since the plug is rotatable through an angle of at least 180 degrees, the jaw can be made to cooperate with theend of the serrated head or with either side thereof. For the purpose of rotating the wrench when it is used as a basin wrench, a tubular handle has been applied to the solid handle of the wrench in such a manner that it can be moved at right angles and used for turning the wrench in a manner which will clearly appear from the description.

Having thus briefly described the invention the same will now be described in detail, and for this purpose reference will be had to the accompanying drawing in which the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved wrench with portions of the tubular handle ltoroken away to better show the construc- Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a wrench show- 1ng it in the position which it occupies when employed as a basin wrench;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3, Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 5 is a view showing a wash basin and showing my improved wrench in position for turning a nut.

In the drawing reference numeral 1 represents the handle of the wrench. This handle is preferably square or rectangular, and is provided at one end with an enlarged head 2, whose sides and end are serrated as indicated by reference numeral 3. The serrations on the sides extend substantially parallel with the axis of the handle, while those on the end extend perpendicular to the axis of the handle and to the axis on which the plug 4 rotates. The plug is provided at its outer end with a flattened portion 5 that extends between the two spaced ears or lug 6 at one end of the arcuate jaw 7. A pin 8 secures the jaw to the flattened portion 5 of the pin and the latter is held against removal by means of a screw 9. The pin can .be rotated about its axis so as to bring the jaw into position on either side of the handle as shownin Figs. 2 and 4', or into a position in which it lies in a plane parallel to the axis of the handle as shown in Fig. 1. The inner surface of the jaw is provided with serrations 10 and its outer or convex surface has a rib 11 that serves to strengthen it. When the wrench is in use it engages the nut in the manner indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 4. With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 1, the nut is rotated in the ordinary way, but when a nut like the one indicated by reference numeral 12 in Fig. 5 is to be rotated, the jaw 7 is moved into position at right angles to the handle so that the jaw may be applied to the nut with the handle projecting downwardly to a point below the basin. For the purpose of turning the wrench when it.- is. used in theimanner shown in Fig 5,;I- haveprovidedi a; handle with" a tubular sleeve 13 that has a cross section of the proper size and shape to receive the free end of handle 1, which is pr ovided on two sides with grooves 14 whose outer ends are provided with enlarged portions 15: The tubular sleeve 13 has one end cut on .a diagonal 16 as shown in Fig; The two sides oi member- 13 are-provided with lugs 1'1 that extend inwardly and are so positioned that they engagethetwo-grooves as shown in Figs. Land. 3; If'sleeve 13 is pulled outwardly go: untilet'he' lugs. come to the enlarged portion 15, the sleeve canthen be rotated into the. dottedrline position and will be held in this position by the action of. the lugs. 'VVhenthe] s-leeveisinthe dotted line. position shown in Fig. 1 and in the full line position shownin Qzand- 5, the wrench can be rotated about the axis ofthe handle, by means of the sleeve 13. Qneend of sleeve 13 is formedintea screw driver,-18:and' when it is to be used for this purpose, it is usually first removecl and then: reapplied tothe handle with a screwdriver portion outermost. Iwantftoacallparticular attention to the sleeve 13 which is interconnected with the wrench handle in such a way-that it can be moved from the; full line position to-the dotted line position shown in ig- ,1 without removingit'from. the handle. l This sleeve cooperates with the arcuate aw whenever the wrench is employed. as a basin wrench and for this reason the movable sleeve constitutes an. element of. the combination and cooperates with thelother parts to: perform thefunetiontorwhich the entire assemblyis designed". I 3 v In Fig.5 5 the wrench has been shown n operation: and; by moving'the jaw from/the member having one end pivotally attached to the outer end of the plug so that it will swing about an axis perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the plug, the concave surface of the jaw member having spaced transverse teeth.

.2. A wrench,- for the purpose described, comprising-in combination, a;' handle having an enlarged head at one end, the outer surface of the head being convex, the sides having a 'plurality o'li grooves extending in the general direction of the axis of the handle,

and the end having transversely extending grooves, the head having one side provided with a cylindrical opening for the reception odz'the cylindrical end of a plug, an arcu-ate jaw member havin one end pivoted. to the outer end-o1"? the pdug so as to be movable about an axis that is perpendicular to the.

of rotation of theplug,the inner surface oi the jaw member having transverse.-

grooves: j 7 I I In testimony whereof I aihx my slgnature;

OTTO H. sonunc v position: shown in. Fig. 2 to .a. position in which it lies on'theother side of the handle, thewren'ch. can: be; employed for rotating a nut. inathe op-posite direction and it. is therefore-suitable for use both in tightening, and removing. nuts and with the; parts in the position shown in. Fig. 1-, it can be used for any purpose. for which a. similar wrench can be employed. j Having. described the invention: what .is claimed as new is:

1; Aiwrench havinga handle provided at,

one end with an. enlarged. head whose outer surface is provided with: projections, the head having an opening extending thereinto from one side thereof, azplug; having a cylindriealTp'o'rtion extending into the opening and rotatable therein, and; anarcuate jaw 

